


The Fallen

by grammaticallywrong



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Baekhyun saves a kitten, Chanyeol is confused as fuck, Fantasy, Human Chanyeol, M/M, MAMA Era Powers, Mama - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Power! Era, Power!Baekhyun, Red Force, Unbeta'ed, We Die Like Men, Will add tags as I update, kitties
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:00:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28402065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grammaticallywrong/pseuds/grammaticallywrong
Summary: A chance encounter in an alleyway changes Chanyeol’s entire life.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	The Fallen

*******

  
  


Chanyeol swears there’s something weird going on with the kid in his research methods class. He’s always hunched over his desk, elbow on the table while his palm supports the cheek resting on it, face always reflecting a state of boredom as he scrolls on his phone. His brown locks falling, perfectly framing his heart shaped face, accentuating his plump cheeks, and sharp jawline.

Yeah, there’s definitely something weird with that kid. 

It was the last semester before Chanyeol can say that he’s free. Free from the clutches of graduate school and onto the real world of corporate slavery - where people work from 9 to 5, five days a week, only to go home at the end of the day completely drained out of his mind. Well, it’s either that or unemployment so Chanyeol really has to suck it up if he wants to go big or go home.

He only has a couple of months left into his last semester, his professors emphasizing the importance of submitting drafts to have them reviewed by their research advisors prior to even thinking about finalizing their thesis which is due in approximately four months. 

Perfectly doable. Park Chanyeol isn’t one of the best in his class for nothing. He already had his abstract reviewed and approved by his advisor, Mr. Kim, who only had big hopes for Chanyeol’s future. Mr. Kim used to be his professor in his Interior Design Theory Class which he took in the previous semester. He was young, probably in his mid-thirties but definitely wiser and more knowledgeable than the rest of his colleagues. That’s why Chanyeol chose him to be his advisor, to have  _ The Kim Junmyeon _ guide him as he navigates through the final stages of graduate school.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, not loud enough to disturb the rest of the class, but apparently enough to catch the attention of the weird kid. He saw him freeze from his peripheral vision before going back to whatever it was he was doing.

_ Milk tea.  _ The message reads.

Chanyeol exhaled through his nostrils. Sehun doesn’t even ask anymore. Not even a question mark. He just spontaneously decides to do things assuming the other person is free every time. 

_ Alright,  _ he texted back before putting his phone back in his pocket. 

  
  


*******

  
  


They were in a hole in a wall cafe, close enough to the university that they can walk to and from the place, but hidden enough that there are only a couple of students with their laptops and books out, cups almost empty of their preferred drink.

He and Sehun found the cafe several years back when they were still undergraduates. They majored in different fields but back then he guessed that the tall, skinny dude sitting in one corner wouldn’t mind sharing a table. He’s had trouble finding an empty cafe and this was his last stop before he gives up trying to study, he had thought. Sehun only shrugged then and they’ve been inseparable ever since.

“Only a couple of months left, huh?” Sehun said as he shuffled all the books in his hands, trying to get a good grip so that his drink won't spill. He wasn’t in the same graduate course as he is, opting to take MBA classes in the building next to his. _ “Dad wants me to prepare for when I eventually take over” _ , Sehun had said when they were filing applications. 

“Tell me about it. I’m actually sort of-kind-of already missing this place already.”

“Seriously? I still have one year left in this MBA program and I  _ abso-fucking-lutely _ cannot wait to leave this hell hole.”

It’s almost hilarious how Oh Sehun, heir to one of the biggest tech companies in South Korea, absolutely despises the idea of taking over his families’ legacy. Sehun only talks about travelling the world, being young, and wild, and free, away from any familial responsibilities.

Chanyeol snorted. Good luck to him with that.

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  


It was towards the end of the day when Chanyeol saw the most intriguing thing.

He had just left campus and was on his way back to his apartment. Sehun wanted to hang out after his last class but his MBA class didn’t end until nine in the evening and Chanyeol wasn’t about to stay in the campus for that long. Screw that. So he decided to just go home, read a few chapters of his favorite webtoon, maybe revise some of his notes so he’ll be ready for finals season. 

He was riding his Vespa when he saw it - a light coming from the alleyway.

Chanyeol has seen this many times. He’s watched many detective movies to know how this will end if he decides to follow his gut instinct and look at what’s happening. 

_ Curiosity killed the cat, remember that, Chanyeol _ . He chided himself as he turned off the motor of his bike and parked it far enough where they, whoever  _ they _ are, wouldn’t be able to see him.

He quietly approached the building, flattening himself against the wall as he slowly, yet quietly shuffled along the wall to peer into the alleyway. 

His eyes widened when he saw what was happening but he wasn’t fast enough to cover the gasp that escaped his mouth.

The figure in the alleyway turned his head at the sound, and Chanyeol knew then and there that he was right.

_ There  _ is  _ something weird with that kid in his research class. _

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  


It was unnerving how the kid never confronted him about that night even though weeks have already passed. They still see each other in class, still pass by each other in the hallway, and there’s definitely been more eye contact between the two (and Chanyeol swears on his dead pet ferret’s soul that there was a hint of disdain in his eyes once in a while) but besides that, no grand confrontation.

Which was honestly worse.

But it’s not like what he saw was anything illegal.

Scratch that. He doesn’t even know if whatever  _ he  _ was doing was within the scope of whatever laws of physics he knew, much less bound by any legal jurisdiction.

Chanyeol closed his eyes as he recalled that moment.

The kid was crouching over something, a small animal he thinks, maybe a white cat, and light was  _ definitely _ emitting from his hands. 

Okay, realistically speaking, he may be wearing some highly technologically advanced invention that Chanyeol was unaware of and that he may be just overreacting due to lack of sleep coupled with exhaustion from school.

But the way the crusted blood slowly disappeared from the animal’s fur, as if the blood was liquifying and returning to the origin of its wound wasn’t just a figment of his imagination  _ for sure. _

Right?

Right.

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  


Chanyeol twirled the pen in his hands as the professor droned on about theoretical frameworks and how it will be the backbone of their methodology. Blah blah blah. He was barely paying attention in class as he looked over to where the kid was sitting. The latter was still hunched over his table, this time, his cheeks puffed, clearly out of boredom, pen also being twirled between his fingers. 

It was only when the kid made eye contact that Chanyeol looked away. 

He was such an intriguing person.

Chanyeol doesn’t think he’s seen him hang out with anybody in or outside of class. Granted, he’s only ever really seen him during this particular class but he’s sure that he wasn’t anti-social enough to have no friends at all. Maybe he takes other classes on different campuses. Chanyeol has heard about hybrid learning where a student can enroll in a class taught outside of their university, only if it supplemented any of their existing major classes. He may be from another campus, taking a supplemental course here. 

Which didn’t really make sense. Who in their right mind would take  _ research methods _ from another university? 

Anyway, the point is, Chanyeol has never seen him besides his class and he’s worried that the kid might actually be just a figment of his imagination. 

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  


“Hey.”

Chanyeol jumped what felt like ten feet in the air as he heard an unfamiliar voice call out to him. 

He was sitting cross-legged on a blanket in the middle of the campus park. He sometimes goes there when the library gets a little too crowded, and the cafe a little too suffocating to study. He has several books open in front of him as he continues to work on his laptop, typing away paragraphs upon paragraphs of probably useless information.

  
  


Chanyeol was clutching his chest in surprise as he looked up from his makeshift workstation to see the kid standing in front of him. The latter’s face seemed to be contorted in discomfort as he shifted from one foot to the other. Overall he still looked the same: his droopy eyes, his button nose, and his hair somehow styled in a way that looks like it’s disheveled but to the point that it seems stylish. 

“Uhh… hi?” Chanyeol’s mouth suddenly felt dry. 

“May I sit here?” The kid pointed to the empty spot on his otherwise occupied blanket. 

Chanyeol looked around the park and saw that there were only three other people in the otherwise massive park. He must be here to talk about what happened that night. 

“Sure?” Chanyeol doesn’t know why he keeps ending his sentence with a lilt, as if he himself wasn’t sure if it was okay for him to sit there. 

He saw him gracefully flop on the corner of the blanket (how did he do that?), pulled out a book from his messenger bag and started reading. He stayed like that for a couple of minutes, occasionally flipping pages, sometimes taking out his highlighter to be used. 

Chanyeol blinked. Was he not going to talk about that night? Maybe blackmail his life into silence? Threaten him into submission? 

“What’s wrong?” The kid asked without looking up from what he was doing. Chanyeol felt the tip of ears redden.

“Nothing,” He mumbled as he went back to his work.

And they stayed like that for a couple more hours until the kid left with a thanks, leaving Chanyeol confused more than ever.

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  


They would be each other’s study buddies for weeks, the other just randomly sitting on the chair opposite to Chanyeol in the library, or sitting next to him with a drink already in his hands in the cafe.

Chanyeol doesn’t mind. It’s not like the kid bothered him with his presence anyway. He wasn’t loud or anything like that. He kept to his space and even let him borrow his highlighter at one point or another. The silence was actually comfortable. He actually thinks he and the kid are friends.

They barely exchanged a few words besides the occasional greetings however. Chanyeol still doesn’t even know his name.

“Baekhyun,” He suddenly heard from beside him.

And Chanyeol might have given himself a whiplash with how fast his head turned to look at the kid - _Baekhyun,_ his mind corrected \- beside him. Did he... ?

Baekhyun gave him what could be the very first smile Chanyeol’s seen on his face.

“Chanyeol,” He offered back a smile.

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  


“So I see you’re dating somebody now.”

Chanyeol choked on his drink. Fuck Oh Sehun.

They were currently dining in one of Chanyeol’s mom’s restaurants. It’s been a while since he and Sehun have met for drinks so Chanyeol decided to treat the younger to dinner. 

“Your mom is the one technically treating me,” Sehun had said, but he didn’t really decline. His mom’s chefs make the best chocolate milkshake in town and Oh Sehun is a sucker for chocolate milkshakes. 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He signalled for the waiter to give him additional napkins as he worked on cleaning the mess he made on the table.

“Oh don’t deny it. He’s actually pretty cute.” Sehun shrugged as he neatly sliced a portion of his steak. “I just didn’t think he’d be your type, that’s all.” 

Chanyeol frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I just didn’t think you’d swing that way.”

And Chanyeol almost,  _ almost _ spat out the spaghetti alle vongole he was chewing. “That is none of your -”

“ - business, yeah, yeah, I like dicks too don’t worry.”

Chanyeol can feel a massive headache beginning at the base of his head. 

“Uhh, okay, but  _ no _ , I am  _ not  _ dating Baekhyun.”

“ _ Baekhyun,  _ huh?” Sehun chewed slowly as if teasing Chanyeol for the information the latter just freely provided. Fuck Sehun and his stupid fucking eyebrows. If he calculated it correctly, maybe Chanyeol can punch his smug face without even leaning over the table.

“Please shut up if you’re not going to contribute anything to the conversation, Oh Sehun.” Both of them turned around to see Jongin confidently slide a chair right next to them. Jongin is one of Sehun’s classmates in one of his business class and his other partner in crime.

Sehun introduced Jongin to him a little while back during one of their trips to the cafe. Sehun saw the latter open the door to the cafe and immediately waved him over. Although his attractiveness was blinding and a little intimidating, Chanyeol later finds out that conversation with his new friend comes easily. He’s tall and full of sharp edges but his personality is soft and easy-going, just like Sehun. It was easy to let him in Chanyeol’s little circle of friends.

_ If all business majors are this attractive, no wonder they get easily hired by employers,  _ Chanyeol remembers thinking then.

“Thanks, Jongin. All the alcohol he’s been drinking finally muddled his brain cells,” Chanyeol huffed.

“Or what’s left of it.” They both laughed as they saw Sehun flick a spring onion into their direction. “Anyway, I just visited this table since my family over there,” Jongin jutted his thumb to his left, “is currently discussing which rich family’s daughter will be lucky enough to procreate with me and pass on the family name. Like  _ Kim _ isn’t one of the most popular last names in both North and South Korea. Ridiculous.”

Chanyeol shook his head. He still doesn’t understand why families from rich backgrounds treat their children like some business deal. But he guesses that’s why some families continue to be powerful, and why some fade. He can say he’s lucky enough to have pretty progressive parents who left him and his big sister Yoora to do whatever they want as long as it makes them happy (and not tarnish the family name of course, but that part was  _ heavily _ implied). He wouldn’t consider his family’s business to be as big as the Ohs, or the Kims (Jongin’s, there’s a ton of Kims out there), but he’s well off enough to be able to not worry about money any time in the future. 

He doesn’t flaunt his family’s wealth. None of his friends do. Sometimes he wonders if any of the people in campus even knows that Oh Sehun is the heir apparent of  _ Oh Tech Co., _ or if Kim Jongin is next in line to take over one of  _ Kim Industries _ ’ Engineering subsidiaries. Park is a pretty common last name too so he’s somehow saved from prying eyes and whispered gossips. 

Chanyeol envies his friends sometimes. Their futures are already set. They don’t have to worry about finding prospective employers, or live in the constant fear of rejection. And maybe Chanyeol is also in the same position as them since he can just ask his mom to see if she wants help with the company but he really, really,  _ really _ doesn’t want to do that. Business isn’t in his blood and while he’s far from incompetent, he thinks his sister Yoora is more inclined to take over than he is. 

He likes his major and he would like to start somewhere before he can figure out if he wants to start a business of his own.

Business here, business there. What a capitalistic world.

“So who’s this Baekhyun?” Jongin shamelessly took one of Chanyeol’s fries off his plate and plopped it into his mouth. 

“ _ Nobody.” _

“Chanyeol’s new boyfriend.”

Sehun and him both say at the same time.

“Sehun,” Chanyeol warned, “That’s Chanyeol  _ hyung _ to you.” Sehun just rolled his eyes. Brat. 

“Chanyeol _ -hyung _ ,” Jongin snickered at Sehun’s sarcastic tone, “replaced me with a new study partner. Shorter, softer,  _ cuter _ , might I add. He wears the roundest glasses although sometimes I think he doesn’t need it at all. And his hair looks  _ so soft _ , Jongin. I think Chanyeol hit the jackpot this time.”

“Have you been  _ stalking _ me?” Okay maybe Chanyeol’s voice cracked at the end but can you blame him? Since when was Sehun in the area whenever he and Baekhyun would “hang out” (Chanyeol thinks in air-quotes since he doesn’t know if he can consider study time as hanging out. He needs to check with Baekhyun. It’s wrong to assume).

Sehun shrugged as he finished his steak. One of the waiters approached the table and gave them the dessert menu. 

“I only saw you guys once but I never see you hang out with anybody besides me,” Chanyeol flinched. “So I stared as much as I could without being too creepy. But with the way you reacted, it seems that you have been hanging out more than once.” Fuck Sehun and his stupid eyebrows and his stupid fucking smirk.

“He just started following me, I think,” Chanyeol thought the way he shrugged was nonchalant enough that his confidence looked convincing. At least he hoped so. “I would sit in the library and he would suddenly sit next to me. The first time he did so was when I was at the campus park. We’ve never even talked. We just study in silence. He’s just shy, I think.”

Chanyeol never told them what he saw that one night and that Baekhyun might be following him to see if he’s talked to anybody about it. He never has. 

“Well I think he’s cute. You should definitely ask him out.” Chanyeol is so ready to ask one of the waiters to spit on the milkshake they’re currently making for Sehun.

“ _ Anyway.  _ Jongin, how have you been?”

And that’s how Chanyeol spent the rest of his Friday night, dinner with his two friends all the while trying to keep himself from strangling one of them. 

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  
  


Chanyeol was done. Almost done. He just needed to finish one last chapter and he can leave and have fun and be merry.

It was currently one in the morning and he was camping in the campus library. He was done with his sit-in finals and all he has to do is submit his final project. Years and years of education to come to these last few moments. 

He still has two weeks before the deadline but he wanted to spend the next couple of days proof-reading, revising anything that needs to be revised, and have Mr. Kim review his work one last time before he could submit his work. 

There were only a handful of students in the library at this time, all of them cramming last minute essays, studying for final examinations that would signal the end of their time in the campus.

The library was one of the many in the campus so there were students from different majors. The one he was in was the biggest, thus the one that was open 24 hours a day. The campus was kind enough to keep the library open especially during the last month of the semester. 

Chanyeol wasn’t worried. He knows he did well the past two years in graduate school. He knows he’ll graduate with honors, be able to get into a big architectural firm, and maybe even be hired for a mid-level position for one of their interior design departments. That’s the plan anyway.

Chanyeol sighed as the pressed command + s several times to make sure the file had been saved. He also created one copy to be saved into his hard drive, and another copy to be saved into the cloud. He’s learned in one of his undergraduate classes that saving files in one area isn’t enough to cover his ass. Sometimes he swears he can still feel the effects of the crap ton of energy drink he consumed that week just so he can rewrite and reproduce the same 25-page essay that he stupidly lost.

He scrolled quickly through his work to see if he was missing any chapters, or if he needed to add additional illustrations to supplement some of the explanations. Once he decided that everything looked good so far, he closed his laptop and gave a heavy sigh. He was finally done.

He stood up and packed his things, slipping his laptop back into its sleeve and putting away his class notes in his bag. He was stacking the books he borrowed from the shelves when he heard footsteps approaching him from the side.

“Hey,” Baekhyun whispered as he got close enough for Chanyeol to hear him. He was sporting the round glasses Sehun observed him wearing a couple of weeks back, and Chanyeol has to admit, it framed his face perfectly, giving him a more youthful look.

“Hey,” Chanyeol whispered back. “Are you finishing up with the research class?” It was easy to discuss something they had in common. It’s been months since they’ve been studying together and somehow, their friendship hasn’t progressed past the typical greetings and occasional sharing of highlighters. Which he didn’t mind, but as time passed, Chanyeol can sense that he and Baekhyun can be really good friends.

Baekhyun nodded, his hair moving with the movement of his head. It really does look soft. Maybe if he just -

“I’ll help you with those,” Baekhyun took some of the books in his hands and followed Chanyeol as they went together to the front desk to drop the used books. The library doesn’t want students to return the books back to the shelves themselves as there have been instances where students would shove books in the wrong section.

Once they dropped off the books, they walked together in silence on their way to their respective apartments. Chanyeol doesn’t know where Baekhyun lives, but he assumes he lives in one of the campus villages which was also close to his apartment. And he was right, as Baekhyun suddenly stopped at one of the big, wrought-iron gates that had the university-logo welded in the center. 

“Well, this is me,” Baekhyun said as he fidgeted with his sweater paws. 

“I’ll see you around?” Chanyeol really does hope he gets to still see Baekhyun around even though this is probably the last time. He doesn’t have the latter’s cell number, doesn’t think he’s even earned the right to ask for it since he doesn’t even know what they’ll be talking about. They hardly talk in person, what more if it was via text. But Chanyeol can’t deny that he liked Baekhyun’s presence. He was quiet, calming almost, and he would like to just sit around all day with him doing nothing as long as it meant being together with him.

So Chanyeol decided. He’ll ask for Baekhyun’s number. He has nothing to lose anyway. If he gets rejected then it’s okay. It was worth a shot. Go big or go home.

He opened his mouth but before a sound could escape his lips, Baekhyun smiled and entered the passcode to enter the dorms.

Which was fine. He wasn’t expecting anything anyway. Chanyeol just didn’t understand why he felt such disappointment in himself for not acting fast enough. 

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  
  


He was still wallowing in self-pity as he walked towards his apartment. It wasn’t far, it was a good three-to-five minute walk back but he liked the quiet of the night especially on nights like this so he walked especially slow tonight, reminiscing about the past and reflecting on the things he had done and learned from the time he’s been on campus. 

He wasn’t really thinking about Baekhyun anymore, although he would occasionally pop up in his mind once in a while. He was mostly reflecting about his time on the campus. The classes he took, the friends he found along the way and the stupid things he’s done with them.

He was about to turn the corner to his apartment when he heard a noise that made him stop in his tracks. 

A low growl. 

Is it even a growl? It was more of a low guttural sound that sounded almost monstrous, like a huge predator getting ready to pounce on its feet to capture its prey, the sound reverberating in his bones making the hairs on his skin stand. It was a sound he’s never heard before and he’s almost sure that no one has either.

He wanted to move, to run, to  _ do something _ but he felt paralyzed. His heart-rate started speeding, his heart pounding, and he could feel the rush of blood echoing in his ears as his body is slowly, yet surely, registering the imminent danger if he continues to stand there doing absolutely nothing.

“What the fuck are you doing just standing there? Run!” The familiar voice was enough to kickstart his system, and he felt his long legs go in front of the other in the form of a run. At least he thinks he’s running. He hopes he is. He doesn’t know what the creature is, or honestly  _ where  _ it is but he hopes that he’s significantly distancing himself away from it.

Chanyeol felt warmth in his hand and as soon as his head cleared, he realized that Baekhyun’s hand was holding onto his. But this Baekhyun was different, more focused, more alert. He was still wearing the clothes earlier this evening so it didn’t look like he went straight to bed; almost as if he followed him home.

“Stop looking at me and start showing me where you live or we’ll both die,” He ordered. Definitely a different Baekhyun. “And don’t say it out loud. Just think about it! The weird dog looking creature is sentient and understands human language so hurry. I said _fucking_ _hurry_!”

Fuck, he’s scary.

_ Okay, umm…  _ He’s really finding it difficult to think with everything happening in the span of 0.5 seconds. But he’s able to convey where he lived, not even questioning how Baekhyun is able to read his fucking mind as they both jumped for the gates once they saw it.

Once they were inside the gates, they kept running towards one of the buildings where Chanyeol lived. As soon as they were inside his apartment, however, Baekhyun pushed him far back into the room as he himself stayed by the entrance, slamming his own hands on the edges of the door panel, both hands emitting a soft light that engulfed the wooden door as he softly whispered what seemed to be words of enchantment.

Baekhyun sighed as he finished. The danger seems to have passed but Chanyeol’s heart couldn’t stop at the rate it was beating. Maybe he’s having a panic attack. He doesn’t know, he has never really experienced it before but he’s heard about it enough for him to think that maybe that’s what he’s currently experiencing. Shortness of breath, a feeling of his throat tightening, entire body trembling, and why won’t his heart  _ calm the fuck down _ ?

“Breathe.” Suddenly Baekhyun is in front of him. He didn’t even know when he moved to the couch, didn’t even know when Baekhyun knelt in front of him, holding his hands as he guided him through a breathing pattern that made sense for Chanyeol to follow.

Once he calmed himself down, he felt a cold glass of water pushed into his own hands. He looked up at his companion who no longer supported the soft features he came to associate him with. Baekhyun still had the droopy eyes, the button nose, and the soft hair that framed his heart-shaped face accentuating his plump cheeks and sharp jawline.

But his gaze was sharper, his jawline clenched and his mouth forming a frown as he squared his shoulder to straighten his back, completely changing his persona right in front of Chanyeol. 

“We need to talk.”

  
  
  
  
  


===


End file.
